England in the World Cup - History England's World Cup History This competition, begun in 1930, has become the world's largest sporting event. It has been staged every four years since then with the exception of 1942 and 1946, when the Second World War forced its suspension. England did not enter the first three competitions of 1930, 1934 and 1938. Although FIFA assiduously sought England's participation, the Football Association declined all invitations. Not until the fourth tournament in 1950 did England take part. England have entered all 16 post-war competitions. They reached the final tournament 13 times. They qualified through play in the preliminary competition on 11 occasions (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010), as host country once (1966) and as reigning champions once (1970).

They failed to qualify for the final tournaments on three occasions (1974, 1978 and 1994). England have had only moderate success in the World Cup, and that is perhaps a fair indication of their standing in the world game. They won the tournament once, in 1966, when it was held on their own soil and they played all their matches at their home ground, Wembley Stadium, an advantage extended to no other team in World Cup history. Their 4-2 extra-time victory against West Germany in the only final match they have reached has remained clouded by the controversy over whether their third goal, the first of extra-time, actually crossed the goal line, and, at least in the view prevailing in Latin nations, by the furore surrounding the expulsion of Argentina captain Antonio Rattin in the quarterfinal. England reached the semi-finals on only one other occasion, at the 1990 tournament in Italy, where, following extra-time victories over Belgium and Cameroon, they went down to West Germany on penalty kicks after a 1-1 extra-time draw. They then lost the third-place match to the host nation, 2-1.

England have reached the quarterfinals on six other occasions, at the 1954, 1962, 1970, 1986, 2002 and 2006 tournaments. At the 1982 competition in Spain, where the final tournament was conducted through two group stages with the teams topping the four second-round groups proceeding directly to the semi-finals, England finished the second group stage unbeaten but were eliminated anyway. Their second-place finish in the second-round group was tantamount to a quarter-final appearance. England have been eliminated in the round of 16 teams stage on two occasions since the final tournament was expanded to more than 16 teams in 1982--at the 1998 final tournament in France and the 2010 final tournament in South Africa. England have been eliminated at the first round group stage on two occasions 1950 and 1958, when they finished level in group play with the USSR but lost a playoff match. The World Cup has been a frustrating odyssey for England, particularly since 1966.

At several tournaments, their performances have filled their fans with justified hope, but in the end, they have just not had enough to overcome the world's most powerful teams in crucial knockout matches. Consolation-seekers like to point out that it has been England's misfortune to meet the eventual World Cup winners in the knockout stages of four tournaments. They went out to Brazil, 3-1, in the quarterfinals of the 1962 tournament, to Argentina, 2-1 by way of Maradona's "Hand of God" goal, in the quarterfinals of the 1986 tournament, to West Germany, on penalty kicks after a 1-1 extra-time draw, in the semi-finals of the 1990 tournament and to Brazil again, 2-1, in the quarterfinals of the 2002 tournament after holding the lead.

Three times they have been eliminated in penalty-kick shootouts, in the 1990 semi-final against West Germany, the 1998 round-of-16-teams match against Argentina following a 2-2 extra-time draw in which they played a man short following the expulsion early in the second-half of midfielder David Beckham. On a third occasion, in the 2006 quarter-finals, England were eliminated by Portugal following a 0-0 draw. Perhaps most disappointing was their elimination at the 1982 tournament in Spain. Having won all three of their group matches quite handily, all they could muster in their second-round group was a pair of goalless draws against eventual finalist West Germany and hosts Spain. They went home unbeaten, having yielded only one goal in five matches. World Cup Final Tournament Format History Every tournament but the first in 1930 began with a preliminary competition which determined the teams that took part in the final tournament. Host nations have qualified automatically for all final tournaments but that of 1934, when Italy had to qualify through preliminary competition. At the 2002 tournament, the first staged in two countries, both hosts, South Korea and Japan, qualified automatically.

The reigning champions have qualified for all tournaments since the second in 1934; the 1930 winners, Uruguay, chose not to take part in the 1934 tournament. FIFA decided in 2002 that following that year's tournament, the winning team would no longer qualify automatically. However, there is a move afoot to reverse this decision or at least to leave the question of automatic qualification to the choice of the reigning champions. At the first tournament, held in Uruguay in 1930, 13 teams, including the host nation, took part by invitation. The teams were divided into four first round groups, with each team playing the others in the group and the group winners advancing to the semi-finals. A preliminary competition was held for the first time before the 1934 final tournament in Italy, and 16 teams qualified. There was no group play at the final tournament; all matches were played on a knockout basis with the winners advancing to the next round. Extra-time was played if the teams were drawn at the end of regulation time, and the match was replayed if still drawn at the end of extra-time.

The 16-team tournament remained the standard until the 1982 final tournament in Spain. The same format was followed at the 1938 final tournament in France, except that one team, Sweden, was given a first-round bye due to the late withdrawal of Austria following its annexation by Germany. Group play was reinstated for the 1950 final tournament in Brazil--with a vengeance. Following the preliminary competition, the 16 qualifying teams were divided into four first round groups. Although three of the 16 teams withdrew and were not replaced, the groups were not realigned and the first round was held with groups of four, four, three and two teams. The winners of the four first round groups advanced to a final pool, as it was called, and the team finishing top of this final group won the tournament. There were no quarterfinals or semi-finals. Since none of the matches were held on a knockout basis, draws were allowed to stand without extra-time or replays. More fiddling with the format came at the 1954 final tournament in Switzerland.

The 16 qualifying teams were divided into four groups for the first round, but two teams in each group were seeded and did not play each other. Each team thus played only two of the other three teams in the group. In an effort to forestall the consequent increased likelihood of points deadlocks in the group tables, extra-time was played if the first round group matches were drawn at the end of regulation time, although the draw was allowed to stand without a replay if extra-time did not produce a winner. This is the only occasion in the tournament's history when extra-time was employed during group play. Playoff matches were held if two teams were level on points at the end of group play; resort to goal difference and goals scored were not yet in use to break such deadlocks. The top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals, which, once again, were conducted on a knockout basis, the winners advancing to the semi-finals and the winners of those to the final match. Sanity returned at the 1958 final tournament in Sweden. The 16 qualifying teams were divided into four groups, with each team playing the three others in the group and draws allowed to stand without extra-time.

Deadlocks in points in the group table were broken by playoff matches. The two top teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals, which were held on a knockout basis. Extra-time and replays were available to settle draws at the knockout stages, but there was no need for them at this tournament. The format used at the 1958 tournament became the standard and was employed at the next three tournaments, in Chile in 1962, England in 1966 and Mexico in 1970. However, beginning in 1962, deadlocks in group standings were resolved by resort to goals scored. More tinkering followed at the 1974 final tournament in West Germany. As usual, the 16 qualifying teams were divided into four first round groups of four teams with each team playing all the others in the group. The two top teams advanced to two second round groups of four teams each with each team again playing all the others in the group and draws allowed to stand at the end of regulation time. The two top teams in these two second-round groups advanced to the final match. Deadlocks in group standings were broken for the first time by resort to goal difference rather than goals scored.

The two second-place teams advanced to the third-place match. There were no quarterfinals or semi-finals; only the final and the third-place match were held on a knockout basis. The 1974 format was followed at the 1978 final tournament in Argentina. There were more changes at the 1982 final tournament in Spain. The number of qualifying teams was expanded from 16 to 24. They were divided in six first round groups of four teams. Following round-robin play, the two top teams in each group advanced to four second-round groups of three teams each. After round-robin play in these second-round groups, the four first-place teams advanced to the semi-finals. There were no quarterfinals. For the first time, the penalty kicks shootout was used in the knockout stages to determine which team advanced if the teams remained drawn at the end of extra-time. There were to be no more replayed matches. Knockout elimination again got the emphasis at the 1986 tournament in Mexico. Once again the 24 qualifying teams were divided into six groups of four teams each.

But this time the top two teams in each group plus the four third-place teams with the best record in group play--determined on the basis of points earned and then goal difference and goals scored--advanced to a round of 16 teams conducted on a knockout basis, followed by quarterfinals, semi-finals and the final and third-place matches. The same format was used at the 1990 final tournament in Italy and the 1994 final tournament in the U.S.A. From the 1998 final tournament in France, the number of qualifying teams was increased from 24 to 32. These 32 teams were divided into eight first-round groups of four teams each. Following group play, the top two teams in each group advanced to the round of 16 teams conducted on a knockout basis, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final and third-place match. The same format was used at the 2002 final tournament in Japan and South Korea. Both host nations as well as the reigning champions qualified automatically, and so the number of teams qualifying through preliminary competition was reduced to 29.

____________________ FIFA World Cup - England – UEFA.com Best result: semi-finals 1968, 1996 Coach: Roy Hodgson Leading scorers: all-time – Wayne Rooney (51); current – Wayne Rooney (51) Most appearances: all-time – Peter Shilton (125); current – Wayne Rooney (109) Association formed: 1863 Nickname: Three Lions Where they play: Wembley, London England's recent record in major tournaments could have looked very different had it not been for penalty shoot-outs. Since losing on spot kicks to West Germany in the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, they have been eliminated by that method from five further tournaments – three UEFA European Championships (1996, 2004 and 2012) and two World Cups (1998, 2006).

It means the 1966 World Cup triumph on home soil remains their only final appearance, although Roy Hodgson's team, group stage fallers at the 2014 World Cup, should travel to France in confident mood having qualified for UEFA EURO 2016 with ten wins out of ten. England: Top five qualifying goals EURO pedigree Overall: P127 W75 D33 L19 F257 A89 Final tournament: P27 W9 D9 L9 F36 A31 Qualifying: P100 W66 D24 L10 F221 A58 England are alone among Europe's World Cup-winning nations in failing to capture the Henri Delaunay Cup. Indeed, they are yet to reach a UEFA European Championship final, having come closest in 1996, when they hosted the event, only to be denied by Germany in a semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat at Wembley. They also reached the last four – as world champions – in 1968, but otherwise the competition has brought few happy memories.

In the four eight-team final tournaments from 1980 to 1992, England were unable to reach the knockout phase, failing to qualify altogether for the 1984 edition in France. EURO '96 apart, they have also struggled to make an impression in the 16-team finals, going out at the group stage in 2000 and suffering elimination in qualifying for the 2008 tournament. On the other two occasions, in 2004 and 2012, respective quarter-finals with Portugal and Italy both ended in shoot-out disappointments. Memorable EURO matches Own goal gives Japan 2-1 win over England in World Cup semi Own goal gives Japan 2-1 win over England in World Cup semi JOHN WAWROW (AP Sports Writer) Share View photos England's Josanne Potter, left, consoles Laura Bassett (6) after the team's 2-1 loss to Japan during a semifinal in the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament, Wednesday, July 1, 2015, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Japan won 2-1.

(Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP) More EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- England defender Laura Bassett was inconsolable as she lay face down on the field, sobbing. Japanese players gathered at the other end of the field in celebration - and relief - in realizing how close they came to squandering a chance to defend their Women's World Cup title. After Japan was outplayed for much of the second half, a turn of Bassett's foot followed by a fortunate bounce off the crossbar led to an own goal in the final minute of stoppage time that allowed Japan pull out a 2-1 victory in the semifinal Wednesday. Japan will travel to Vancouver to face the United States on Sunday in a rematch of the 2011 championship game in Germany. ''Oh, what a tough one, what a tough one to take,'' a red-eyed England coach Mark Sampson said. ''I can't speak about the game. I can only speak about how incredibly proud I am of my group.'' Japan coach Norio Sasaki acknowledged there were several tense moments when England could have scored in the second half. ''But that's the game of soccer,'' Sasaki said through a translator.

''And at the end, we were able to obtain such a dramatic goal.'' Nahomi Kawasumi drove up the right side and sent a cross into the middle for Yuki Ogimi. Bassett was in full stride when she reached out with her right foot, caught the ball flush and inadvertently directed it toward her net. The ball struck the crossbar and bounced in just before goalkeeper Karen Bardsley could get across. ''I was very happy,'' said player of the match Saori Ariyoshi, referring to watching the ball go in. ''Well, we did it. That's how I felt.'' It was a withering moment for England, which had no time - or energy - to gather itself and make a comeback. After the final whistle, Bassett lay on the field and had to be helped off by her teammates and Sampson. ''It really was a horrible moment obviously for Laura, but you could see the regard in which the team hold Laura,'' Sampson said.

''OK, she's hurting now, but tomorrow morning she'll wake up, she'll have 22 teammates and a group of staff give her a hug and tell her how proud we are of her.'' It was a torturous finish for the sixth-ranked Lionesses, who have made their deepest run in four World Cup appearances. England had never won an elimination game until this year. England will remain in Edmonton to play top-ranked Germany in the third-place match Saturday. Germany lost 2-0 to the United States on Tuesday. Japan will be facing what's become a familiar foe in the U.S. with a championship on the line. It beat the Americans on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw in the 2011 World Cup final. The U.S. responded by beating Japan 2-1 to win the gold medal at the 2012 London Games. Overall, the U.S. is 24-1-6 against Japan. ''Only the god knows the outcome,'' Sasaki said, looking ahead to Sunday. ''And Japan needs to build up on our power. And that's what I take away from this game.'' The teams traded penalty kick goals seven minutes apart in the first half.

Aya Miyama opened the scoring in the 33rd minute by driving the ball into the open left corner while Bardsley guessed the wrong way. The Lionesses responded on Fara Williams' penalty kick in the 40th minute. She threaded a shot just inside the left post, barely out of the reach of diving keeper Ayumi Kaihori. England then had the Japanese on their heels during a four-minute span of the second half. Toni Duggan, from just inside the penalty area, had her line-drive kick go off the crossbar in the 62nd minute. A minute later, Ellen White was set up in the middle, and got a shot off that Kaihori punched away. And in the 66th minute, Jill Scott headed Williams' corner kick just wide of the left post. ''There was nothing more our team could've done today to put that ball in the back of the net,'' Sampson said. ''So credit Japan for hanging on in there, finding a way to get themselves through to a final.

But this team has shown the world what it's capable of.'' The game was played on Canada Day - the nation's 148th birthday - in front of a slow-arriving crowd. The attendance was announced at 31,467 in a stadium that holds more than 53,000. The crowd would've been would have been much larger had England not eliminated the host country in the quarterfinals last weekend. The Lionesses have already created a buzz back home as just the third English team - including the men - to reach a World Cup semifinal, joining the 1966 champion and 1990 men's squads. England began the day by receiving a royal pep talk from Prince William, who spoke to the players and staff by phone. Manchester United and English national team captain Wayne Rooney has become a fan.

Rooney posted a note of support on his Twitter account Wednesday, writing in part: ''We're all behind you, let's go one step closer and get to the final.'' --- FIFA World Cup: All-time greatest XI | GiveMeSport FIFA World Cup: All-time greatest XI Published 24/7 The World Cup takes place every four years and for those who have lifted the famous trophy, their legacies have cemented them as the world's greatest ever players. Here's a look at possibly the greatest FIFA World Cup XI of all-time. Goalkeeper: Gordon Banks | England The only English number one goalkeeper to celebrate winning the World Cup. Banks is perhaps best remembered not for his performance in the '66 England side that defeated West Germany 4-2 in the final but for the greatest save of all time when Banks dived to save a bullet header from the legendary Pele. Banks won the FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year a phenomenal six years in a row from 1966 to 1971, along with earning 73 caps for his country. The former Leicester and Stoke City stopper is considered by many as England's greatest ever goalkeeper and even the greatest of all time.

Right-back: Cafu | Brazil The great Cafu earned over 140 caps for Brazil and more than 20 of these were World Cup appearances. The legendary full-back is the only player to have played in three World Cup finals and won the trophy with his country twice. Firstly in 1994 before captaining Brazil to their unprecedented fifth World Cup title in 2002. In 1994, Brazil played out a 0-0 draw with Italy before the Selecao won 3-2 on penalties in the United States. Cafu and Brazil were unable to regain their World Cup title as they lost 3-0 to the hosts France in the final. However four years later, Brazil were back on track defeating Germany 2-0 in the final courtesy of two goals from Ronaldo and Cafu was given the honour of lifting the trophy high above his head as Brazil celebrated World Cup success once again. With much of the team retired by 2006, Brazil would be eliminated from the tournament by France at the quarter final stage. Cafu achieved huge success throughout his career and the right-back is remembered for his tireless overlapping runs and great stamina.

Centre-back: Franz Beckenbauer | Germany What Pele is to Brazil and Maradona is to Argentina, Beckenbauer is to Germany. Die Kaiser starred in three World Cups for the then West Germany. His first taste of the tournament would end with his country missing out in the final in 1966, losing 4-2 to hosts England after extra time. In 1970, West Germany reached the semi final but lost to Italy in a dramatic match that ended 4-3. Perhaps more incredible than the match itself was that Beckenbauer fractured a bone in his arm but continued to play to help his country reach the final. Success for Beckenbauer and West Germany finally came in 1974 and with a hard fought 2-1 over the Netherlands, Die Kaiser became the first captain to lift the new World Cup trophy which you see today. Beckenbauer played over 100 games for West Germany and is considered by many to be not only the greatest German player of all time but also the greatest defender ever as well.

Centre-back: Fabio Cannavaro | Italy Partnering Die Kaiser at centre-back is the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, Fabio Cannavaro. The Italian centre-half is the most capped player for his country having appeared 136 times and is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation. Cannavaro's first tournament was the 1998 World Cup where he played alongside other great Italian defenders such as Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Giuseppe Bergomi. Italy were knocked out by France at the quarter-final stage following a penalty shootout. At the 2002 tournament, Cannavaro was credited with holding the defence together when Alessandro Nesta was injured during the group stage. Italy were once again knocked out in the quarter finals, this time against hosts South Korea in controversial fashion. Cannavaro was his country's captain throughout the whole of the 2006 World Cup. One of the defender's key performances in that tournament was against Germany in the semi final as Italy won 2-0.

His crowning moment came when he lifted the trophy following Italy's penalty shootout win over France, the victory coincided with Cannavaro earning his 100th cap for his country. Left-back: Carlos Alberto | Brazil The captain of the famous 1970 Brazil team that won the World Cup in Mexico. The full back is highly regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time and is perhaps best known for his goal against Italy in the final of the 1970 World Cup. The fourth goal in a 4-1 win for the Selecao is considered one of the best goals in the tournament's history. Unfortunately for Alberto, it would be the only time he played in a World Cup finals. Despite this the full back completed 53 caps for his country and scored eight goals. Described by many as the greatest team of all time, the legendary eleven included Tostao, Rivelino, Pele, Jairzinho and of course Alberto. Given that full-backs are notorious for making surging runs forward in the modern game, Alberto is considered a pioneer for this style of play.

Add to this, the full-back is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century, ensuring he is without doubt one of the greatest players of all time. Centre-midfield: Lothar Matthaus | Germany The tenacious midfielder played in five World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) for his country, more than any other outfield player. He is also the most capped German player of all time with a staggering 150 appearances to his name and scored 23 times. The German's first two World Cup tournaments would end on a low as his country were beaten in both finals in 1982 by Italy 3-1 and then in 1986 by Argentina 3-2. However in 1990, Germany got the revenge they were looking for when Andreas Brehme scored a penalty to secure his country's third World Cup triumph at the expense of the team who had beaten them in the final four years earlier, Argentina. With that Matthaus had earned his second international medal with West Germany winning the European Championship in 1980.

Matthaus remains the only German to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year which he named in 1991 as well as winning the Ballon d'Or the previous year. In his autobiography, Diego Maradona revealed that Matthaus was the best rival he ever had. High praise indeed. Right-wing: Garrincha | Brazil Known as the little bird, the Brazilian winger won two World Cups in 1958 and 1962. He was the outstanding player of the '62 tournament. Brazil's star player Pele suffered an injury in the second match and was out of action for the rest of the finals. Garrincha played a key role in Brazil's triumph especially in games against England in the quarter-final and Chile in the semi-final, the winger scored four goals in those two matches. The Selecao faced Czechoslovakia in the final, winning 3-1 to lift the trophy for the second time in as many tournaments. Garrincha was unsurprisingly voted the best player of the '62 World Cup. The little bird played the majority of his club career for his hometown club, Botafago.

He also won 50 caps for his country, scoring 12 goals. Left-wing: Pele | Brazil Regarded by many experts, fans and players as the greatest player of all time. The Brazilian legend's legacy speaks for itself. Pele is the only player to win the World Cup three times during his career, scoring a total of 12 goals in the tournament. His first World Cup came at the age of 17 in 1958. At the time Pele was the youngest player to ever compete in the finals. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against France, becoming the youngest player in World Cup history to do so. The final pitted Pele's Brazil against hosts Sweden in which he scored two goals as the Selecao won the tournament for the first time. He missed the majority of the 1962 finals but still ended up collecting a medal as Brazil were crowned world champions for a second time in a row. Pele's defining moment in international football came in 1970. In a team considered to be the greatest eleven in history, Brazil defeated the likes of Romania, England and Uruguay en route to the final.

The Selecao played Italy to determine who would become world champions. With both countries looking to become World Cup winners for a third time it was Brazil who took the trophy home with Pele scoring the first goal in a 4-1 win. Pele won 92 caps for Brazil, scoring 77 goals. He is also credited with scoring over 1,000 goals in all competitions in his career and is in an elite group of the greatest players of all time. There aren't enough words to describe what Pele represents to the sport but his contributions have made him a hero not only in Brazil, but also around the world. Attacking midfield: Zinedine Zidane | France The Frenchman makes the list ahead of fellow winners Diego Maradona and Rivaldo for his efforts in both the 1998 and 2006 World Cup finals. Widely considered the best French player of all time, Zidane was the focal point of his country's triumph in the 1998 tournament. He played a key role in helping his team reach the final, but was yet to score.

However when France played against holders Brazil in the final, Zidane was set to become the stand out player of the tournament. France dominated Brazil from the first minute of the match, Zidane scored two goals as France became world champions on home soil following a 3-0 win. Zizou as he was to become known as, was now a national hero. France performed poorly at the 2002 World Cup. This was largely due to a thigh injury which kept the talismanic Zidane on the sidelines as his country relinquished their title. France were back to their best in 2006 with Zidane once again the catalyst. Les Bleus defeated Spain, Brazil and Portugal before facing Italy in the final. Despite scoring a penalty earlier in the game, Zidane was sent off for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest. With no Zidane, France were defeated on penalties by the Azzurri and Zidane retired from football.

Nonetheless the France number 10 received the Golden Ball for best player at the 2006 tournament and can look back at a glorious career in which he won the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League as well as many other individual honours. Striker: Gerd Muller | West Germany Throughout the 1960's and 70's, Der Bomber was the most feared striker in world football. With 14 goals for West Germany in the World Cup, his record of top scorer in the tournament lasted for over 35 years. Muller scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany and began his international career coming into the 1966 World Cup. During that tournament, the Bayern Munich striker scored four goals for his country as reached the final in a losing effort to hosts England. Four years later in 1970, Muller scored an outstanding 10 goals in Mexico which only further indicated his ability as a goal poacher.

Although he did not score during the 1974 World Cup, West Germany were crowned world champions for a second time, defeating international rivals the Netherlands 2-1 in the final and with that Muller added a World Cup winners medal to a long list of honours. Muller scored more than 700 times in his career for club and country and has since gone down in history as one of the game's deadliest ever strikers. Striker: Ronaldo | Brazil While Muller's reign of top World Cup goalscorer lasted more than 35 years, the lethal Brazilian was the man to break the German's record in 2006 when he reached his 15th World Cup goal for Brazil. Ronaldo was part of the 1994 Brazil squad that became World Champions, however the striker did not play as he was back-up to prominent forward Romario. Four years later Ronaldo was Brazil's key man and scored four goals to aid the team reaching the final. Brazil missed out on the trophy as France lifted the trophy. The night before the final, Ronaldo suffered a fit and was therefore unable to produce his best for the match against Les Bleus.

The 2002 tournament was held in Korea/Japan and this was to be the stage where Ronaldo announced what a talent he was. The striker scored in all but one game and scored two goals in the final against Germany to ensure he was top scorer at the tournament and that his country were world champions for a record breaking fifth time. Many claimed that Ronaldo was past his best when the 2006 World Cup was held in Germany. However Ronaldo scored three goals in an otherwise poor tournament for Brazil. His goal against Ghana meant that he had broken Gerd Muller's record with 15 goals. Ronaldo scored 62 times in 98 appearances for the Selecao and has often been identified as his country's greatest ever striker. Is this your best World Cup XI? If not, who would make the cut for your team? Get in touch and leave a comment below. DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeFootball Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeFootball.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.

GiveMeFootball.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors. Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: Topics: Why did England win the World Cup in 1966? Add to myFT Why did England win the World Cup in 1966? Was it down to stamina, ability or just good luck? And why has it never happened again? Read next by: Simon Kuper “Ee-aye-addio, we won the cup!” sing the crowd. England’s captain Bobby Moore climbs the steps to the royal box at Wembley, where a yellow-clad 40-year-old Queen Elizabeth hands him the little gold Jules Rimet trophy. She, he and it all look gorgeous in the London sunshine. The Technicolor moment in 1966 when England’s football team won their only World Cup is a high point of postwar English history. It also serves as a constant reprimand to the nation’s present. National decline is a powerful notion in modern English history, and England’s failure to win a football tournament since that July day seems to sum up that decline.

That’s why the English often turn 1966 into a symbol. The argument then goes that Moore’s “greatest generation” won because they were better men than today’s spoiled overpaid lot. However, if you want to understand why England won then and have lost since, symbolism doesn’t get you very far. In an attempt to demystify 1966, I read the history and crunched data. Moore’s team obviously benefited from home advantage. But from today’s perspective, we struggle to grasp just how big that advantage was. Sports economist Stefan Szymanski and I calculated that since 1980 home advantage has been worth about two-thirds of a goal per game in international football. That’s enough of an edge to propel a decent team like England — typically about 10th best in the world — to the title. ‘There is no way the linesman could be certain if Geoff Hurst’s shot in the World Cup final against West Germany crossed the line or not’ © Hulton Archive/Getty Images However, in 1966 home advantage was even greater. Travel then was arduous, referees easily swayed by home crowds, local fans often hostile, and conditions alien.

Argentina, a serious contender for victory in 1966, tried to fit in a training session at the England team’s camp in the Shropshire village of Lilleshall but, writes Jonathan Wilson in Anatomy of England (2010), “the plan turned into farce as the Argentina bus got lost, taking two hours to cover the 30 miles from their base near Birmingham”. Then, the evening before their quarter-final against England, Argentina weren’t allowed their mandatory 20-minute practice session at Wembley “on the grounds that it would have interfered with the evening’s greyhound racing”, writes Wilson. (He calculates that they could easily have been fitted in ahead of the dogs.) Many players who visited England that summer were unused to foreign travel. Argentina’s captain Antonio Rattín told Razón, the local Buenos Aires newspaper, that he listened to a cassette recording of his wife and children 10 times a day. “If I could draw up my own contract for football at this level, I assure you I would put in a clause that said I could only play in Buenos Aires and would never leave my country again.” The very organisation of the tournament favoured England.

The Portuguese star Eusébio always believed that the organisers had illegally moved the England v Portugal semi-final from Goodison Park in Liverpool (where Portugal had come to feel at home) to Wembley (where England had played all their previous games). In fact, Eusébio was wrong: Fifa was free to decide which semi-final would be played at which venue. However, this was exactly the sort of decision that went the hosts’ way. Most refereeing decisions did too. In England’s 2-0 victory over France, the first goal was “blatantly offside”, writes Niall Edworthy in The Second Most Important Job in the Country (1999), his history of England managers, while the second came after Nobby Stiles “crunched Jacques Simon right under the nose of the referee with a challenge so late that it beggared belief”. The ref ignored the foul, allowing England to go upfield and score, whereupon Simon was stretchered off. A subsequent cartoon in the French newspaper L’Equipe showed England’s midfielder Bobby Charlton driving a Rolls-Royce while referees dressed as British bobbies cleared opponents from his route. Latin American media were less polite.

In the 1966 final, the Azerbaijani linesman Tofiq Bahramov was wrong to award England their third goal when Geoff Hurst’s shot appeared to bounce on the West German goal-line. The point isn’t that later scientific studies showed the ball probably never crossed the line. The point is that Bahramov couldn’t possibly have seen whether it crossed or not. Given the uncertainty, notes Dave Bowler in his 1998 biography of England’s manager Alf Ramsey, Bahramov “had to give the benefit of the doubt to the defending team. His decision was incorrect.” But it’s the kind of decision a linesman makes with a Wembley packed with Union Jacks behind him. There’s a broader sense in which hosting favoured England. In 1966, two different ethical codes were fighting for dominance in international football: the Latin American and the northern European code. In Latin America, play-acting, shirt-pulling and bullying the ref were considered acceptable but violent fouls weren’t. “In northern Europe, the reverse was true,” writes Bowler.

“Histrionics were frowned upon while heavy tackling was part and parcel of a man’s game.” Fifa had said before the World Cup that referees would crack down on violent fouls. However, that didn’t happen. Northern Europe’s code triumphed, probably because the region provided the vast majority of spectators and referees. And so Stiles was free to foul against Uruguay and France, while other Europeans kicked the great Brazilian Pelé out of the tournament. Latin referees might have given Pelé more protection, helping the bookmakers’ favourites Brazil win their third straight World Cup. Moreover, a Latin referee at England v Argentina might not have sent off Rattín for “the look on his face”, as the West German Rudolf Kreitlein reportedly did. After that match Fifa fined Argentina £85 (the maximum permitted) and threatened to bar the country from the next World Cup. Outraged Latin Americans met while still in London to discuss breaking away and founding their own tournament, wrote Dutch journalist Hans Molenaar in his contemporaneous book on the 1966 World Cup. The Latins must have been particularly irked that England’s cheating (as they saw it) was accompanied by much pompous hot air about “fair play”.

In truth, most English people of the day, certain of their moral superiority, probably couldn’t have imagined their team might be cheating. Happily, from the 1970s the game’s two codes converged again. After the 1970s, hosting lost importance. From 1930 through 1978, hosts won five out of 11 World Cups, while three of the other winning countries shared a border with the host. Since 1982, hosts have won just one trophy out of nine. That is partly because some modern hosts have been weak football nations. But even taking that into account, hosts have done poorly. No post-1978 host, except winners France in 1998, has even reached the final. Spain, Japan and the US didn’t make the quarter-finals, South Africa in 2010 fell in the first round, and Brazil in 2014 were beaten 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final in Belo Horizonte. The decline in home-field advantage has probably been starkest in international football but the Columbia University psychologist James Curley has identified it in the English domestic game too.

His data, written up by the statistical website Fivethirtyeight, show that home teams won about 60 per cent of their league games in the late 19th century but only just over half in the 1960s, and about 40 per cent today. ‘Ramsey gathered his players for a training camp in Lilleshall and asked them for two months of sacrifice’ © Popperfoto/Getty Images England, of course, still deserve credit for winning in 1966. Whether or not they were the best team that summer, they were probably the fittest. Before the tournament, Ramsey had gathered his players for a training camp in Lilleshall and asked them for two months of sacrifice. “Gentlemen,” he added, “if anybody gets the idea of popping out for a pint, and I find out, he is finished with this squad forever.” When the team’s habitual drinkers did hatch a plot to escape “Stalag Lilleshall” for a pint (or more), Ramsey forestalled them. After 11 gruelling days in isolation, England went on a rapid four-match European tour. Ramsey thought of everything.

“The players were even given lessons in how to cut their toenails for fear that a poor clipping technique would lead to a septic toe,” writes Edworthy. Most other teams in 1966 weren’t so professional. The French team stocked up for their training camp in Scotland with large quantities of French wine. The Argentines on their warm-up tour of Europe smoked straight after friendlies and training sessions, wrote Molenaar. The Swiss midfielder Philippe Pottier actually asked for a week’s leave from training camp to go on holiday. (This was considered a bit slack even for little Switzerland, and he was left at home.) No wonder England’s left-back Ray Wilson told Bowler: “We were fitter than most teams . . . In the last half-hour we’d generally overcome most sides.” Wilson noted that fitness mattered especially at Wembley, where players often cramped up on the springy turf. Playing every game in London also meant that England didn’t waste any energy travelling. The statistics seem to confirm the team’s superior fitness. Five of the nine goals that they scored in normal time at the World Cup came in the last 15 minutes of matches. And their fitness must have helped them score those two extra-time goals in the final.

George Cohen, the right-back, recalled: “When Alf came out at full-time, he said, ‘Look at the Germans, they’re finished.’ And they were all lying on the floor. Alf made us stand up to show them how fit we were.” Ramsey himself identified the physical as England’s USP. He said in victory: “We were the fastest and the strongest side in the World Cup, but I do not think we can ever match the individual techniques of the Latin Americans or the Latin Europeans.” Contrast the fitness of 1966 with England’s modern summer fatigue. Now that the Premier League is the most physically demanding league on earth, with 10 months of non-stop football, English players typically arrive at World Cups exhausted. Wayne Rooney, for instance, flopped in South Africa in 2010 after being squeezed like a lemon by his club Manchester United that spring. England’s manager that year, Fabio Capello, later explained why England don’t win summer tournaments: “They’re the least fresh of any of the competing national sides, because their league doesn’t have a break.

It’s like when you’re driving a car: if you stop halfway to put fuel in, then you’ll definitely get where you want to go, but if you don’t, there’s always the chance you’ll be running on empty before you reach your goal.” Other England managers and players this century have offered similar explanations. Angry fans typically dismiss these as excuses. However, Capello’s analysis is backed up by modern England’s unusual scoring patterns. Most goals at World Cups come after half-time. That is natural: in the second half players tire, teams start chasing goals, and gaps open up on the field. But England, in their eight big tournaments from 1998 through 2014, scored 28 of their 45 goals before half-time. England teams nowadays perform like cheap batteries. England’s fitness in 1966 was to Ramsey’s credit. So were his brave decisions to dispense with wingers mid-tournament, and to pick the relatively obscure Geoff Hurst ahead of the established star Jimmy Greaves in the final. Hurst scored a hat-trick; Ramsey made a difference. More than in any other mainstream team sport, luck matters in a short football competition But his side also needed luck.

More than in perhaps any other form of mainstream team sport, luck matters in a short football competition. In a football league, played over 38 matches or so, luck tends to even out. One week a referee will mistakenly give your opponents a penalty, but the next week he’ll give it to you. In the end, the best team usually finishes first. But shorter World Cups offer greater scope for randomness. The 1966 tournament lasted just under three weeks. As Arsenal’s manager Arsène Wenger has said about international football tournaments, any team in a league can top the table after three weeks. Over such a brief run, a few inches here and there on a couple of shots can be decisive. England in 1966 beat Argentina in the quarter-final and Portugal in the semi-final by one goal each, and won the final only after extra time. Victory hinged on a few moments. As Jonathan Wilson writes: “One moment can shape a game, and one game can shape a tournament, and one tournament can shape a career. Football is not always fair.” It’s even less fair and more random than other ballgames.

In Test cricket, each batting side has 20 wickets to fall, so an individual dismissal is rarely decisive. Tennis Grand Slams are played over five sets, so a favourite can lose two and still triumph. In basketball and rugby, the team with territorial dominance usually wins. That’s not true in football. Nonetheless, we tend to tell the story of any World Cup with hindsight as if the winners were destined to triumph. ‘England have been knocked out of six of their past 11 tournaments on penalties, including the 1990 World Cup when Chris Waddle’s semi-final miss sealed their fate’ © Getty Next, any analysis that compares England in 1966 with later England teams must address the issue of penalty shootouts. Penalties, rather than any lack of moral fibre, may be the single biggest reason why modern England lose. From 1990 through 2014 England played 11 tournaments and were knocked out of six of them on penalties. But in 1966, shootouts didn’t yet exist.

If they had, the exhausted West Germans in the final would surely have “parked the bus” in front of their goal in extra time, aiming to hold out for penalties. We can all guess who would have won the shootout. None of this is to say that England in 1966 were a bad team. Indeed, they were probably slightly better than most subsequent England teams — but only very slightly. The fact is that England in almost any era pretty consistently win about half their games, drawing or losing the rest. Contrary to all popular opinion, it appears that since the 1960s the strength of the England team has barely changed (which would make the vast apparatus of punditry attached to the team redundant). Since the late 1950s, the win percentage has not risen above 70 per cent, and it has never fallen below 67.5 per cent. Penalties, rather than any lack of moral fibre, may be the single biggest reason why England lose The overall picture is one of steady but extremely slow decline, punctuated by two eras of exceptional performance. One of those eras was the late 1960s.

The other period of clear improvement runs from the early 2000s through to today. It seems that only one period in England’s modern football history can match the late 1960s: namely, the present, as shown by the win percentages of all permanent postwar England managers. Match for match, the only postwar England managers whose stats compare with Ramsey’s (in charge from 1963 to 1974) are the two most recent incumbents: Capello (2008-2012) and current boss Roy Hodgson. It seems that today’s England are unusually strong, perhaps because English internationals now spend their club careers competing with top-class foreign players in the world’s richest league. (This would blow out of the water the popular belief that all those foreign imports have ruined the England team.) Admittedly the differences between the top few managers in our table are small. In addition, it’s hard to compare eras. Since the break-up of the USSR and former Yugoslavia, England play more small countries such as Estonia and Slovenia. But then Ramsey’s England spent a lot of time playing the little home nations Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Moreover, most of today’s stronger European teams — Spain, France and even Germany — weren’t yet world-beaters in his day. Best practice in football wasn’t nearly as widespread then. In 1966 no German side had ever beaten England. The Germans have outperformed England at every World Cup since. Ramsey’s supporters will object that he’s the only England manager who (at least in one tournament) won the big games that mattered. It’s true that 21st-century England teams have disappointed in major tournaments. Possibly they lack the never-say-die English spirit of Moore’s men. Alternatively, it may just be that by the time June rolls around, today’s England players are more tired and are playing away. Perhaps the men of 1966 really were a generation of giants who put all future English footballers to shame. Or perhaps what happened is simply that the fittest, luckiest and most sober team of that summer squeaked a narrow victory in a three-week tournament at home. Manager

Question: Apart from 1966 when was the only other year when England reached the semi-final of the FIFA world Cup?
Answer: 1990